Darlington Farmers Auction Mart held their weekly sale of Cast Cattle, Store and Breeding Stock on Monday 6th June 2022. Forward were 303 Cattle and 25 Sheep.
78 Cast Cows & OTM sold to 236ppk or £1901
5 Stock Bulls sold to 220ppk or £2385
44 Calves sold to £400
36 Young Bulls sold to £1460
35 Store Steers sold to £1590
87 Store Heifers sold to £1390
25 Store & Breeding Sheep sold to £148
Cast Cattle – No hangovers around the cow ring following the extended Bank Holiday as a platinum trade ensued, a sale average of 178ppk and over £1200 was achieved for a show which admittedly contained its share of princesses however also a scattering of old scarecrows to level them. In just three weeks the herd reduction from J L Marks, Gilly Flatts Farm, Bishopton is due here in DFAM and it was this exemplary home which turned out today’s topper, a superb Limousin cow which sold for 236 pence per kilo. Closest rival at 222ppk was a sharp Aberdeen Angus OTM from Mayfield Beef Shorthorns, Wolsingham whilst another terrific ten cattle sold for a minimum of 200 pence. Top gross valued cow was a 914kg Charolais from D K Barker, Little Ketton when she sold for £1901, three others sold in the £1800’s including the aforementioned Marks machine and two hefty Aberdeen Angus cows from R E Dickson, Loftus. The Montbéliarde breed outmuscled the black and whites today to top the milk cows as a cracker from H M Dent, Morton Tinmouth led the field at an impressive 184ppk and £1245. Super-sized bulls are appearing every week and this week’s heavyweight champion was a 1491kg Aberdeen Angus from R E Dickson, Loftus which reached an impressive value of £2385; also, well worthy of mention was a beautiful 1027kg British Blue bull from N & A D Brass & Son, Shadforth selling for 220ppk and £2259.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading PPK – 236 216 198 J L Marks. 222 200 Mayfield Beef Shorthorns. 220 J Fletcher. 214 W A Wardman Ltd. 214 196 W A Richardson Ltd. 212 S G Horn. 208 D K Barker. 204 P M & F M Hill. 200 192 R E Dickson. 196 188 J D Bentley & Son. 194 A Wilson. 192 T T Hall & Son. 190 W E Frank & Son. 188 G & J H Tomlinson & Son. 188 F W Hodgson & Son. 188 F J Hugill. 188 J Norman.
Sock Bulls Leading PPK – 220 N A & D Brass & Son. 200 R & A Chapman. 190 N Swinbank. 182 P A Thompson. 160 R E Dickson.
Cast Cows & OTM Leading Gross – £1901 D K Barker. £1824 £1689 J L Marks. £1810 £1804 R E Dickson. £1772 £1476 Mayfield Beef Shorthorns. £1708 S G Horn. £1685 £1538 W A Richardson Ltd. £1659 £1481 F W Hodgson & Son. £1622 Thirn Farms Ltd. £1606 J Fletcher. £1570 W A Wardman Ltd. £1539 W E Frank & Son. £1530 F J Hugill. £1517 J D Bentley & Son. £1424 T T Hall & Son. £1422 J D Bentley & Son.
Stock Bulls Leading Gross – £2385 R E Dickson. £2259 N & A D Brass & Son. £1742 N Swinbank. £1414 R & A Chapman. £1139 P A Thompson.
Calves – A good gathering of calves again found plenty of enthusiasm from numerous buyers’ ringside, top price of £400 went to a 2-month-old Beef Shorthorn bull from Thirn Farms Ltd. A good straight run of 4/5 week old Hereford calves from Low Three Mark, Wigtownshire peaked at £270 with no less than 11 achieving this high on the day.
Leading Prices – £400 £370 Thirn Farms Ltd. £300 Sevenacres Livestock Ltd. £270(x11) £260(x2) £250(x2) £215 £170(x2) £160(x5) £150(x2) £130(x3) £110(x4) Low Three Mark. £230 £215 £200 £190 High Mark Farming Ltd.
Breeding Cattle – A light but tidy show of breeders forward found trade excellent, from the young to the elderly all classes looked well sold on the day. Top price of £1800 went to a 5-year-old Limousin cow with her 3-month-old Aberdeen Angus crossed calf at foot from M Radford, Forest in Teesdale.
Leading Prices – £1800 £1700 £1500 £1380 M Radford. £1700 £1400 W M & D H Bussey. £1400 A Spence. £1300 F Gilchrist.
Store Cattle – A typical June show with quality very mixed, nothing variable about the trade though as it transpired to be exceptionally good for all classes; despite the well-publicised fast rising feed costs the finishers are certainly digging in and paying handsomely. No doubting the top young bulls of the week as a fabulous four Limousin’s between 12 and 17 months old all sold over £1400 from D Dixon, Middle Heads Farm, Rowley. D W Dresser of Hall Farm, Greatham are unquestionably the in-form firm at our Monday sales recently, this week’s biggest impresser from Messrs Dresser proved to be a magnificent 17-month-old Limousin steer which topped the sale at a blistering £1590. Leading the ladies today were a pair of lovely 2-year-old Limousin heifers from Chris Spence, Leadgate which sold for £1390 apiece; a pleasing day for all store cattle vendors as the oft seen June trade dip is thus far nowhere to be seen in 2022.
Leading Prices
Young Bulls £1460 £1450 £1440 £1410 D Dixon. £1160 W A Richardson Ltd. £1130 £990 £910 £890(x2) F Bainbridge. £1125(x2) £1095(x2) £920 J R & M Richardson. £1080(x2) L Claughan. £940 £800 J Dixon. £910 T T Hall & Son. £900 L Claughan. £825 S Waggott. £820 M W Cook & Son.
Store Steers – £1590 £1250 £1210 £1185 D W Dresser. £1445 £1385 £1330 £1285 W A Wardman Ltd. £1260 G A & C Jopling. £1240 £1145 J Norman. £1225 £1130 £1030 K Sayer. £985 J G Wall & Sons. £975(x2) A Wilson.
Store Heifers – £1390(x2) C Spence. £1260 £1170 £1120 W A Wardman Ltd. £1200 £1170 A P Taylor. £1195(x2) £1160 £1080 W B Rutter & Sons. £1190 £1090 G A & C Jopling. £1160(x4) £1080(x4) J P Phelan. £1160 J C Thwaite & Son. £1130(x2) W C Barker & Son. £1130 £1080 J J Horn. £1115 K Sayer. £1100(x2) M E & T D Tailford. £1070 J G Wall & Sons.
Store Sheep – A light offering as is always the case during June, trade remaining very firm.
Ewes & Lambs – £148 C Taylor.
Store Hoggs – £118 £111 J & F Hartley & Sons.
Feeding Ewes – £119 £103 £84 £79 J & F Hartley & Sons. £111 C Taylor. £111 Ainsty Farms Direct.